Lightning News

THE LIGHTNING INSIDER

by
Lightning Insider
/ Tampa Bay Lightning

Let Tampabaylightning.com become your destination for all the latest Lightning scoops. The Lightning Insider will be in the stands, in the locker room and on the road with the team throughout the 2007-08 season to provide you with a positive look at the Bolts as they pursue Lord Stanley’s hardware. Our resident snoop will post the latest following practices and morning skates, and he’ll make sure you’re the first to know when the Lightning are making news. Have a question or comment for The Insider? Send me an email at Insider@tampabaylightning.com

It was a relatively quiet morning for the Lightning as the entire team participated in the morning skate at the St. Pete Times Forum after having a day off on Friday. Johan Holmqvist will try to improve to 6-1 for the season tonight, and strangely enough it will be his first career appearance against the Sabres. Marc Denis got the call in all four meeting last season, including the Lightning’s 3-2 victory in Buffalo on March 16 – Tampa Bay’s only win against the Sabres in two seasons.

Buffalo got a much-needed 4-2 win in Sunrise last night, coming back from a 2-1 deficit in the third period to beat the Panthers. The win ended a three-game losing streak for Buffalo, which sits 4-5 overall and 1-3 on the road this season.

Dan Boyle skated with scratches Andreas Karlsson and Ryan Craig, and though he looks ready to go there’s still no telling when he’ll get into a game. Lightning GM Jay Feaster speculated that he could come back during the three-game swing that starts Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

Nolan Pratt was all smiles this morning as he walked the locker room halls at the Forum for the first time in awhile. Pratt said he’d agreed to a deal to head to Russia for the season when he got the call from the Sabres, who are battling some injuries on defense. Pratt quickly turned down the other offer and headed to Sunrise to meet the Sabres. Buffalo was a team he spoke with often during the summer, and he’s hoping to officially sign with the Sabres today or tomorrow. We wish Pratter good luck – he’s a first-class individual.